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Field Marshal Montgomery won a rain-soaked Ulster Pipe Band Championships, continuing its undefeated 2011 campaign. The Grade 1 Medley event was cancelled due to the weather.

The final band contest in Scotland before the World Pipe Band Championships was, as usual, held at Bridge of Allan. Heavy rain made things a challenge, but ultimately Inveraray & District emerged the winner, with Oran Mor of New York coming up strong in second. Six Grade 1 bands competed, with several Grade 2 bands playing up. In each event only there was only one judge for piping and one for drumming . . .

Cameron Drummond of Edinburgh was the overall winner of the Scottish, Irish and Breton sections to take the MacCrimmon Trophy at the Lorient Interceltic Music Festival . . .

Two Grade 3 bands ¨C White Spot from Vancouver and Northwest Junior from Seattle ¨C combined for a one-year “ited” experiment, and after . . ..f

Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping opens with the widest array of choices yet. Iain MacDonald reports from the scene of the action, that has rapidly surpassed . . .

The second full day of the Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping and there was a palpable air of anticipation beginning to build in warm and sunny weather that pervaded throughout the day. Large crowds were in good fettle as the National Piping Centre again proved that it is the middle of the piping universe.

The foursome led by Alistair Henderson entered by Inveraray & District in the annual International Quartet Competition emerged the winner against seven other groups. Invereray was decided the best by a group on judges in the audience, whose identities were not known. The contest was made up of an MSR and a Medley and took place at a very crowded Strathclyde Suite of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Only one prize is awarded. Other quartets competing were from the 78th Fraser Highlanders, Lothian & Borders Police, Manawatu, ScottishPower, Spirit of Scotland, Strathclyde Police and St. Laurence O’Toole.

Willie McCallum of Bearsden, Scotland, was the winner of the annual Silver Cap Invitational Piping Competition, held before a good crowd at the Lord Todd Bar at the University of Strathclyde. The event was part of the 2011 Piping Live! festival . . .

Despicably poor weather was literally on tap for the whole of Wednesday, as rain beat down on Glasgow throughout the day, spoiling many outdoor events, but bringing . . .

Peter Aumonier reviews the ScottishPower Pipe Band’s ‘Energy’ concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on August 10, 2011.

With a games ground bordering the River Tay, the Atholl & Breadalbane Gathering at Aberfeldy, Scotland, has decided to cancel the 2011 event, originally scheduled for August 13th, because of a waterlogged ground. While the event coincides with the World Pipe Band Championships . . .

Michael Grey shares his views on the legendary Rona Lightfoot’s Piping Live! discussion on canntaireachd at the National Piping Centre

Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, was the winner of the 2011 Lord Todd Bar Recital Challenge, the event that more than a decade ago inspired the successful Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping. Liddell produced an at times jaw-dropping performance that enthralled the capacity crowd at the Lord Todd Bar at the University of Strathclyde. Liddell competed against four other invited pipers: Andrew Bonar, Vancouver; Angus MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland; and Gordon Walker, Galston, Scotland. Each competitor could perform for a maximum of 30 minutes . . .

The last six spots for the Grade 1 Final competitions at the 2011 World Pipe Band Championships were determined after a 13-band MSR qualifier heat.

Field Marshal Montgomery of Belfast won the 2011 World Pipe Band Championship in convincing style at Glasgow Green, on a day that saw mostly dry, but generally heavily overcast, weather. Simon Fraser University of Canada was second, while ScottishPower cracked the coveted top-three with a third overall. Inveraray & District rose up the ranks, finishing fourth, and 2010 World Champions, St. Laurence O’Toole, fell back to fifth.

Meaghan Proudfoot reports on the Pipes of Peace Concert – Celtic Spirit, Lomond & Clyde, Simon Fraser University, St. Laurence O’Toole, Wasatch & District, Bob Worrall – SECC, Glasgow, August 11, 2011